


Left in the Past

by KrystalT_65



Category: Grand Theft Auto V
Genre: Alcohol, Bar, Car Sex, Cars, Cocaine, Crush, Drink, Drugs, F/M, FIB - Freeform, Falling In Love, Future, GTAV - Freeform, Gore, Guns, Heist, IAA, Implied Sexual Content, Kidnapping, Love, Multi, Other, Past, Reminiscing, Rough Sex, Sex, Teamup, Threesome, Violence, Whiskey - Freeform, Wine, brads sister, drug fueled sex, drunk, gruesome, mission, present, score - Freeform, speed - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-30
Updated: 2021-01-09
Packaged: 2021-03-10 04:34:23
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 11
Words: 19,413
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27597596
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KrystalT_65/pseuds/KrystalT_65
Summary: Fueled by the need to avenge her brothers death, Ella Snider seeks to eliminate Dave Norton, who once again turns to Michael for help.  Michael brings back the rest of the crew, Lester, Trevor, and Franklin.But as it turns out, the target isn’t easy to put down...especially when they discover it’s a woman with whom Trevor and Michael were once enamored with.Takes place after events of GTA V (option C chosen)
Relationships: Amanda De Santa/Michael De Santa, Michael De Santa & Reader, Michael De Santa/Original Female Character(s), Trevor Philips & Original Female Character(s), Trevor Philips/Original Female Character(s), Trevor Philips/Reader
Comments: 7
Kudos: 20





	1. Reuniting the boys

**Author's Note:**

> My first GTA V fic on AO3! Super excited! Please leave a kudos or a comment if you like it :)
> 
> First chapter starts slow but the action starts on the second chapter!

It was another beautiful day in Los santos, another day of sulking around the pool, wallowing in self-pity. But Michael preferred it over being shot at by mercenaries and thugs, all of which had been a reality just a few short months ago.  
He found the peace strange sometimes. In the midst of revising scripts and assessing headshots of up and coming potentials to star in Solomon’s movies, a singular thought would always plague him: did he even deserve this peace?  
He remembered a time when he didn’t care for a single soul lost. He hadn’t really had the time to consider the implications of dead bodies left behind, unless they would somehow serve as a loose end, in which case he’d incinerate and eliminate the evidence completely.  
But those days were different. Those days, his hustling days, were fueled only by victory. He never lost, he was always meticulous and insightful. Always ten steps ahead. Over time, it had built like an addiction. There came a point he didn’t even care about what the take was, it was how grandeur the score was, how big of a fire he could ignite and get away with. 

The thrill of the chase gave him a hard-on like no other. 

That’s when his always-rocky marriage was on its last legs. It demanded the therapy, and Michael thought maybe it would be a good idea to placate his wife by going to these sessions, all the whole discreetly managing to slip in a few of his own problems. The therapist either caught on and wasn’t at all shocked, or he was really a good fraud and didn’t care to listen as closely as he was paid to. 

Michael always found the man repeating the same few phrases, after which he’d decided he was throwing money away just to give Amanda the peace of mind that Michael was actually trying. 

And he was. 

Especially after the U.D. job, Michael had managed to maintain a pretty low profile and a bank account that would make any housewife want to put on a dog leash and pretend that life was alright. So with the house nearly empty during Amanda’s constant shopping trips, Michael found peace. 

He scanned over the script in hand while lying on a lounge chair next to the pool, shaking his head to one of George Michael’s hits from the 80’s when he felt the vibration of his phone in his front pocket. Without even checking caller ID, Michael picked it up. 

“Hello?” He talked into it. 

“Hey sugartits. Missed me?” Came the voice Michael was hoping not to hear from anymore these days. But that never was so.  
Trevor would call at least once a week. At first, Michael did his best to avoid him but truthfully, the sheer fact of their history together combined with the fact that Trevor actually was someone who cared about Michael really prevented him from avoiding the terrifying lunatic. 

Michael smirked. “What’s happening, T?”

“Oh you knowww, just running several businesses and kicking ass doing it. Thought you might wanna drop by the club and have a drink. What’dya say, friend?” Trevor emphasized that word, friend. Michael cringed everytime he did so but he understood why. Michael hadn’t exactly been a very good friend to Trevor so the tension was still there after all this time.  
It would probably be there always given the fact that Michael had backstabbed Trevor in the worst way a man could.  
He had apologized for it and Trevor had accepted the apology by if there was anything Michael had learned from Trevor, it was that the crazy man had a tough time letting go. 

“Sure thing, T. I’ll drop by soon.” Michael said. 

“Great. I’ll see you then.” Trevor said and hung up. 

Michael sighed as he threw down the stack of papers to the lounge chair next to his. These days, leaving the house wasn’t as much a drag as it had once been. Just months ago, he’d step out to run Lester’s errands for upcoming heists, but these days it was all for leisure. 

Speaking of Lester, he hadn’t heard much from him either. He knew he had been a God-awful friend for the nearly ten years he had attempted to go off-grid, leaving everyone behind, even Lester.  
But he had promised to maintain some contact when all the dust had settled.  
He thought he’d give Lester a call after entertaining Trevor at the strip club. 

Climbing into his blacked out Tailgater, Michael began the drive towards Trevors. He wasn’t bothered by it so much, the whole hanging-out with Trevor thing. But even after all these years, something about the lunatic drove Michael away. Maybe that’s why back in Ludendorff, Michael didn’t feel bothered by the prospect of leaving Trevor behind and saving his own ass.  
He didn’t quite know the answer to that though. He thought perhaps therapy could have helped him figure it out, but therapy was a joke. It was useless, even when he tried to make use of it. 

Pulling up to the back of the club, he saw Franklin climb off his bike and remove his helmet. 

“Hey man, what’s happening Mike?” He greeted Michael with a smile. Both men proceeded to shake hands and hug.  
“Hey kid, you doin’ okay?” Michael smiled, pulling out a cigarette. 

“Shit, never better homie. Got a call from T for some drinks and lap dances, can’t really pass up the opportunity on a Friday.” Franklin smirked. 

“I hear ya,” Michael blew out cigarette smoke, looking around at their surroundings, “haven’t been here in a long while. Since back when we were still doing some shit.”

“Some shit is right, homie, I’m glad I ain’t gotta get back into that. Shit, I don’t know how many of those scores I got left in me.” Franklin said with a sigh. 

“Some shit is right, homies.” Trevors voice was heard behind them. They turned to see the lunatic club owner walking toward them with a huge, satisfied grin. 

“Michael! Frank! Whatsup ma brothers!” Trevor exclaimed as he wrapped an arm around each man. “You guys ready to get fucked up?”

“Shit, I’m always down to get fucked up, homie,” Franklin laughed as the boys began walking in. 

“Well at least you’re honest about it kid. Not like this guy,” Trevor said, poking a finger hard into Michael’s chest, “now this guy, he’d eat his own fucking kids if he had to, ya know, no sense of principles or morals. He’d leave ya behind if it very well suited him.”

“Bite me.” Michael muttered. 

“No no that’s true too, if I wasn’t around Frank, you’d have bitten a bullet looooong ago, my friend,” Trevor said in a sing-song voice, clearly trying to wind Michael up yet again. 

“Get off it, T, when are you gonna let it go?” Michael asked annoyed. 

At this point the boys were in Trevors office. 

“Never. You don’t get off that easy you fucking snake. I mourned you. I grieved for you!” Trevor got in Michael’s face. 

“I KNOW THAT! YOU WONT FUCKING LET ME FORGET IT!” Michael screamed in Trevors face.  
Trevors breathing was heavier now as the anger welled up more and more, but Franklin was quick to diffuse, putting his arms between the men and pushing them away from each other. 

“Man, shut the fuck up! Both of you! I didn’t come here to listen to y’all’s bitching at each other like a broken fucking record. Now, we drinkin’ or what?!” Franklin exclaimed in an exasperated tone. 

Michael pulled away as Trevor growled. “Fine! Let’s get fucked up then. Gentlemen?” Trevor opened the door separating his office from the dressing room, where women were changing and touching up their makeup. 

The men walked out among the rest of the guests and towards the bar. 

“Yo, Shirley.” Trevor snapped his fingers, trying to get the bartenders attention. “You get these boys whatever the fuck they want, however much of it they want. No limits. No tabs. All on the house.”


	2. Night out

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ella Snider touches down in Los Santos.  
> Some alcohol is consumed. Some confessions are made.  
> Ella is so close but so far!

"Ladies and gentlemen, I just wanted to take a moment to thank you for flying Air Santos, and welcome to Los Santos, the city of lights, sights, and fights. You heard that right. You may unbuckle your seatbelts and prepare to exit the plane."

The flight attendants snarky tone was not surprising to Ella. She had been to Los Santos just once before and had determined that there was more plastic in a single boob of a typical Los Santos bimbo than there was in all of Ludendorff. Hence, the predictable entitled attitude. She sighed in annoyance, realizing that she may have to put up with this crap for the remainder of her stay, and grabbed her purse. The hours-long flight had left her yearning for fresh air, but she was inwardly dreading what 'fresh air' meant in Los Santos.

Ludendorff was beautiful. It was her home, it was everything she had ever known. Being a small, mostly cold and snowy town, it was the polar opposite of Los Santos. She did enjoy the sun, but she always thought the superficial, faux bullshit Los Santos was known for was a waste of its climate. She muttered why the good shit was always wasted on the ungrateful.

Once she had been able to hail a taxi (after a good 25 minutes), she was finally out of that dreadful airport. Not like any part of this town was any better, but the quicker she was out of there, the quicker she'd be able to plan her next move.

Ella wasn't here to vacay like other girls her age.  
Far from it, actually.  
Her heart was beating hard against her chest as she thought about inching closer and closer to her goal.

Her mind wandered to her brother, Brad. He'd died 10 years ago, and although initially his death was regarded with little to no respect due to the nature of it, she had found out the truth. Salt to the wound, really. He was set up. Fucking set up. And by who?

"You new to town, miss?" The taxi driver asked as he peered in the rearview mirror.  
"Is it obvious?" Ella asked as kindly as she could. She really wasn't in the mood to humor the guy but she figured a little bit of small talk wouldn't be the end of the world.  
"Well, ain't no one wearing them types of winter shoes, even during winter." He chuckled.  
Ella looked down at her tan Ubbs. As warm as they kept her feet, they were hella comfortable. But she smirked and supposed that the guy was right. She had to fit in, and her outfit wasn't any help.  
"You know what, you're right about that. How about you drive me to the nearest Suburban. I gotta do some shopping." She said, to which the man nodded.

In no time, they reached the store and while Ella paid for the fare, the driver offered to wait for her.  
Ella eyed him suspiciously. "Why?"   
The man shrugged. "You're about my daughters age, she's in college. Haven't seen her in months. I wouldn't mind it miss." 

Ella couldn't help but smile. Damn, her sentimental side. Somehow, the man missing his daughter was like Ella missing her brother. She pushed the thought aside and figured she could afford a bigger tip for him after all was said and done.  
So she went inside and did some shopping, making sure to be mindful of the fact that she had to blend in. Her focus was to channel a bit of that sexy coed look that most girls here seemed to vie for. But the rest of her outfits consisted of leggings and sweats, things that were comfortable and casual. She'd blend in easily that way too.  
Once the purchases were made, she walked back out to the taxi, where the driver offered a helping hand with the bags of clothes she had just bought. Throwing them in the trunk, he sat back in the drivers seat and looked back at her expecting a new route.

"Banner Hotel. Final stop." Ella said, to which the driver nodded.

The drive was short, a mere 20 minutes even with the drivers slow and relaxed driving.  
Once he helped her with her bags, Ella gave him a crisp 100 dollar bill. The driver looked at her completely stupefied.

"Thank you for all your help. So far, you've made my experience here so great." Ella smiled graciously. The man smiled wide and thanked her perhaps a hundred times.   
Ella placed her items on a cart and one of the young men working at the hotel helped escort everything to her room. Looking around, she was a little suspicious of the luxury, especially given the fact that this part of town wasn't as nice as Vinewood Hills. But that was purposely done too.  
She could have easily chosen to stay at The Von Crastenberg but instead, she found that for the purpose of her...'operations', she would be better suited to work from an environment where crime occurred at conveniently high rates.

She was tired but more than anything she needed a drink.  
A glass of wine for the nerves. Perhaps a few shots.  
She'd found alcohol to numb the pain of losing her brother many years ago, so why not indulge now that she was in a new city?

She ripped open the bag of new clothes and decided to test the waters with her new sexy coed outfit. Once she put it on and did her makeup, she found herself dreading the look. But this is what the norm was here, especially when planning to go out on a warm, beautiful evening like tonight.  
Her mind swam with thoughts pertaining to Brad and her plans here but tonight she needed a little breather. A little break.   
She could go back to plotting and scheming tomorrow.

She took a cab down to the sleetiest, cheapest place in town.  
"The Vanilla Unicorn?" She muttered to herself as she fished in her purse for her ID. "Who comes up with these names?"  
She walked in and already the smell of booze and cigarettes wafted unpleasantly through the room. She nearly gagged but kept her cool as she walked straight to the bar. She scanned the floor briefly but decided she wasn't here so much for the strippers as she was for the booze.

"Yeah, I'll take a glass of Chardonnay please." She said as she sat on a stool, placing a 20 dollar bill on the table. The bartender got her the drink and took the 20.  
"Keep the change. Thanks." Ella said, grabbing the glass.

"Hey baby, how you doin' tonight?" A voice was heard next to Ella. She looked to her left at the man standing next to her, leaning over the table with a glass of his own. He was tall, dark, and quite handsome. Ella smiled politely.   
"I'm better now, cowboy." She said in a suggestive tone.  
"Shit, well I'm glad to hear it babe. What's your name?" He asked, taking a swig from his glass.  
"Ella. And yours?" She asked.  
"Franklin. Franklin Clinton. You new to town?" He asked.  
"As a matter of fact, yes I am." She said, putting her drink down and focusing her full attention on the dark stranger.  
"Well, I'd be happy to show you around." He said in a tone that implied his fierce interest. "You got a number?"  
"As taken as I am by your kindness, Franklin, I'm afraid I gotta roll solo. But I wouldn't mind sharing a toast." She gazed up at him, holding up her glass.  
"Well shit, alright," he said warmly, raising his own glass.  
"To the beginning of the end." Ella said with a smile.  
The toast itself struck Franklin as odd but he shrugged it off.  
"Shit, whatever man, I just need to oil up my throat." Franklin smirked as he downed the contents of his glass, slamming the empty glass onto the counter.

Some time passed and pleasantries were exchanged. Franklin got a text from Michael saying he was done with the lap dance he had ordered, at which point he excused himself and left Ella alone at the bar. Ella thought two glasses of wine were a good start and a comfortable end to a nice night out on the town. She took a cab back to the hotel.  
Meanwhile, Franklin walked into Trevor's office with Michael, but once the door was open, they say Trevor sitting behind the computer in a somewhat slouched, very relaxed form. They could also see a head bobbing up and down before him.

"Jesus fuck T!" Michael exclaimed as he walked back out.  
Franklin looked at Trevor briefly before rolling his eyes and walking back out with Michael.  
"Yo man, that ain't cool." Franklin commented.  
"What! It's like neither of you've ever gotten head before!" Trevor shouted after them.

When Franklin and Michael were outside, they were chuckling at the entire ordeal.  
"You enjoying your night, kid?" Michael asked as he lit a cigarette.  
"Yeah man, the crowd's good tonight. I even met this chick." Franklin said, lighting a blunt.  
"You don't say? You know you can't take 'em too seriously if they're coming out here." Michael smirked.  
"Well, shit, I know that. She seemed level headed enough...but that outfit, SHIT!" Franklin chuckled, taking a hit.  
"Kid, just do what I do. Get a lap dance, control that urge, and trust me, you won't end up knocking up someone you're gonna regret being with one day." Michael huffed.  
"Shit dawg, you make it sound like you're not too happy about your situation." Franklin said in a somewhat shocked tone.  
"My situation? Maybe it's the alcohol talking, but I can promise you kid, no man in his right mind makes it a point to turn a stripper into a wife. Or to attempt to, anyway." Michael sighed.  
"Well, shit, we ain't in our right minds so I guess we can get away with it." Franklin shrugged.   
Michael laughed at this comment. It was too true. "This is why I love having you around, kid."


	3. Dave Norton

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A little hangover isn't gonna keep Ella from doing a little bit of research.  
> The information, and the memories, she stumbles upon is GOLD.
> 
> Also, Davey's back with some not-so-good news for Michael and the crew.

Ella knew, she just _knew_ that today was going to be productive, even if she did wake up with the world's worst hangover.

She rolled over once and fell with a thud to the floor.

"Goddamit." She muttered, arching her back in an effort to relieve the sharp pain. Before she could even think of propping herself back up in a sitting position, she reached an arm up over the nightstand now above her and searched for her phone. After making contact with a cold, hard rectangle, she clutched at it and brought her hand down over her face. She scrolled through until she found a map of where she currently was. Once the screen loaded, she got up and sat back on the bed, but not without a firm reminder from her hangover that it was still there, with a vengeance.

And of course, Ella ignored the aching in her head by busying herself with her next goal.

She pulled her laptop out of her suitcase and immediately began typing away.

See, Ella had come _completely_ prepared. This wasn't a half-assed attempt on her part to seek out those who wronged her brother, oh no.

This was a very meticulously thought-out, detailed, pre-meditated attempt at earning the rightful justice she and her family, along with her deceased brother, had vied for. The kind of justice that, when practiced, would produce a level playing field. For that to happen, Ella had spent most of her time learning the ropes, anything from hacking to weekly visits to the shooting range. All those computer geeks she had to kiss, or do much more to and with, all the gruff older men she had to _somehow_ appease to impress upon them her interest in guns of all shapes and sizes. Ella had done.it.all.

And here she was, a number of years later, ready to put all that she had learned to the test.

Typing away, she was able to get into the police database. She could type the name of any sucker who had had skirmishes with the law. There was only one name that she cared for, the one person she was truly after. Years of intricate research had led her to the one man who she believes was responsible for Brad's death. 

"Dave Norton." She muttered as she typed down his name. 

There was only 1 result that came in. A 19 year old busted for selling marijuana out of Murrieta Heights. 

"Fuck." Ella rolled her eyes. Definitely not the guy she was looking. She sighed and tried to think of other sources she could look into. Then it click.

"FIB!" And with that, the databases were open. She was quite surprised that she was able to open up anything pertaining to FIB but their online defenses were just as penetrable as the police. Pathetic. So Ella used that as an advantage instead of turning her nose up at the dumb luck she had stumbled upon.

And what's more, the name Dave Norton just so happened to produce a range of results that helped Ella confirm she had found the right guy.

"...led investigative team to Ludendorff in early 2000's, two suspects dead, one at large." Ella stopped reading, feeling a weird pang in her heart.

Michael...Trevor... Michael and Brad were both dead. Trevor had managed to escape.

Ella always liked both men. There was something so cunning about them both, in their own right. They were dark and light, black and white, yin and yang. They, somehow, completed each other and Ella had found, in the midst of them being running buddies with her brother Brad, she had found that each had completed her in a way that was unexplainable.

Somewhere in the complex, dark aspect of their lives thrived a tiny beam of light that made Ella confirm that these two were only human. When she found her mind wandering to Michael and Trevor, she took a deep breath and decided that, for the sake of her brother, Michael, and Trevor, she'd continue trudging on until she had a plan.

Ella continued to read and decided it would be best to keep a note of some of the things she had found. She snapped pictures for safekeeping, just in case by some chance she wouldn't have access to the same information again. But now, there was a different goal. She typed away and lo-and-behold, she found the address to his office. 

She could barely contain her enthusiasm at this point. Jotting down all the information on a piece of paper, she folded it and kept it safe.

Now, other than the usual plot to gain entry to the office somehow, she'd just have to make a few arrangements for a clean escape.

And she'd be flying back with a fuller heart in no time.

\-------------------------

Michael was flying down Route 1 when he received a text. He normally didn't bat an eye at his phone, especially when he drove given the fact that he'd be the first to complain when seeing someone else do it. But now that he and Amanda were on good terms again, he just found it difficult to resist a glance. Lately, the texting had been...racier than usual. It would get his heart pumping far more than the adrenaline he'd experience when he'd be on getaway duty during a heist.

But the text was from an unknown number. 

"Meet me at your place in an hour."

Narrowing his eyes, Michael took a sharp turn and headed back to his place. It might have been Trevor pulling his leg with a new number, or even one of the kids pranking him somehow, but Michael just had a feeling something was off. A small, almost insignificant, waning feeling that maybe, just maybe, he'd be wise in following through with the commanding text.

Arriving at his place, Michael pulled up slowly to find none other than....

"Fuck, you gotta be kidding." Michael rolled his eyes briefly and muttered before stepping out of the car.

"Michael. I take it you're happy to see me?" 

"Davey, hey. Look, it's nothing personal, it's just every time you reach out to me, some serious shit goes down." Michael explained, leaning back on his car.

Dave Norton, the very man who helped him had also put him through some sort of hell. Corrupt government shit that Michael knew all too well he should have been expecting the moment he agreed on getting on the WPP (Witness Protection Program).

"Forgiven. Now I need your help, and although I seem to ask you for a lot of it, this time, it's a little different." Dave explained.

"How different? Do we have another government agency to deal with now?" Michael asked annoyed.

"No, this isn't quite that...big." Dave said.

"Look, I already said we weren't gonna do anymore of this shit. It's enough." Michael urged.

"I know, Michael, but one thing you need to realize is, while the scope of this is a lot smaller than previous, er, missions, this one can make an impact on the livelihood of you and your friends." Dave explained.

Michael eyed him suspiciously. "How so?"

"Well, to be blunt, think of a scenario where someone whacks me, steals secret government information, and blows the whistle on the most covert operations the government has been conducting. The type of operations involving three thugs who were given a clean slate, a concept that is completely unheard of and totally illegal." Dave explained, earning more and more of Michael's concern.

"Fuck, Dave. You serious?" Michael said exasperated, rubbing his eyes.

"As serious as a heart attack. I know I shouldn't be joking about that, but we can't exactly joke about this either. It affects everyone's livelihood: yours, Franklin's, Trevors, Lesters-"

"Whoa whoa, you're bringing Lester into this?" 

"Of course. You don't think Lester's the only person doing what he does. Trust me, we have more on Lester than we do you three, and that's saying quite a bit. Now, think about it Mike. The notice came earlier today. I don't want to have to reassemble this group, given the turbulent nature of our relationship, but I'm afraid this is the only way." Dave said as he walked to his car.

"Pretty fucking slick, Davey. You're just so good at backing me into a fucking corner and derailing a train full of bullshit, coupled with a threat, spoon-feed me that bullshit, and then gauge my fucking eyes out with it!" Michael exclaimed as Dave climbed into his car and pushed start. 

Dave sighed and looked at Michael.

"Nice to see you too, Michael. Think about it. Talk to the boys. Call me tonight. We need to solve this rat problem before someone pulls the rug out from under us." And with that, Dave drove off.

"Fucking..." Michael muttered, pulling his phone out of his pocket and dialing.

"It's you." That familiar voice sounded on the other line.

"Lester, hey man, how are you doing?" Michael asked as calmly as he could.

"That depends, do you need something from me or is this just a courtesy call?" Lester asked dryly.

"Come on, Les, it ain't like that,' Michael sighed.

"No, it never seems to be huh, Mike?" Lester said.

"Listen. We're in trouble, and by _we_ I mean you too." Michael explained.

"What kind of trouble?" Lester asked.

"The kind that could put the lid on all of us, L. The kind that could expose every single sick shit you've ever even thought of. You know the implications of hacking and assisting criminals remotely? That shit gets you multiple life sentences and-"

"Okay, okay, I get it. What's the problem? Who talked?" Lester said in a much more enthusiastic voice. Now he was really interested.

"Davey came around and told me about an attempt to raid his office or some shit. I don't know, but he's a target. Look Les, if Davey goes down, _we_ go down. Everything we've ever done will be exposed, from our little agreement back in Ludendorff to the UD." 

"Shit. SHIT!...Was it the maniac?" Lester asked.

"No, apparently he's right there with us. Listen, we need to get together **now**. I'll call Frank and ask him to pick you up. You come by, we have a few drinks.."

"And we go back to the drawing board." Lester continued for Michael.

After a brief moment of silence between the men, Michael sighed. 

"I'll see you soon." And with that, he hung up. 


	4. Not-so-fun Reunion

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The boys come together.  
> Plans are made.  
> Arguments are had.  
> Michael needs a drink.  
> And apparently, so does Ella.

"Looking good, pork chop." Trevor's gruff voice sounded behind Michael.

With a sigh, Michael turned to face the madman behind him and greeted him with a smirk.  
"T, good seeing you." "Is it, Mikey? Is it really?" Trevor asked in a mocking tone.

"Jeez." Michael rolled his eyes, throwing Trevor a beer, which the man caught in a swift motion.

"So, uh, what is this, huh? Who are we fucking this time? Are we going international?" Trevor asked as the pair walked inside.

"Not really, T. Lot more fucked up, actually." Michael said as he set his beer down on the kitchen island.

"Whoa now, Mikey, this isn't about one of your scorned lovers coming after you and that deflated stripper you married, is it? Cause I don't want any part of that bullshit." Trevor laughed out at his own joke.

"I see nothing's changed," Lesters voice was heard as he and Franklin walked into the kitchen.

"Yo, man, whatsup," Franklin chuckled, greeting Michael with a half-hug.

"Kid! Wheels! Just got back from getting your pussy cleaned?" Trevor laughed, patting Lester's shoulder in a not-so-affectionate way.

"It's nice to see you too, cretin." Lester rolled his eyes, clearly unafraid of Trevor's wrath. "So, Dave Norton, eh?" Lester asked Michael.

"You did some research," Michael cocked his brow, handing the other men their beers,

"What did you find, L?"

"Well, I found the IP address that was able to hack into the FIB computers, which tells me the person hacking it is not as experienced as yours truly." Lester explained.

"What? What does that even mean, are you a better nerd?" Trevor smirked.

"It _means_ that the person who did a half-assed job hacking into a top government database is either completely inexperienced, a troll, or has other plans." Lester looked at Michael.

"Can you trace the IP address back to a location?" Michael asked. "We could start there."

"Don't you think I tried that? By the time I pulled up the information, it was too late. The computer was clearly destroyed and dumped at the LS waste facilities. Whoever is doing this knows to cover their tracks." Lester explained.

"What do you mean 'knows'?" Franklin asked suspiciously. "Like, you might know this motherfucker? Are we dealing with another ghost from y'all's past?"

There was a moment of silence as the men pondered quietly what it could all mean.

Trevor, per usual, was the first to lose patience as he threw his beer out over the pool.   
"This is bullshit! So we just wait for this guy to strike?"

"Calm down, T, we won't let it get that far," Michael said calmly.

"As much as it pains me to say this, I think the rabid hillbilly has a point," Lester said, making Trevor mutter a 'bite me' under his breath, "we can't just wait until we're caught off-guard. Clearly the FIB database has your name linked with all your assets, including the cars, homes, and properties you own. We need to momentarily abandon everything."

Frankling scoffed. "Nigga that's crazy! The fuck you gonna have us do then?"

Michael placed a reassuring hand on Franklin's shoulder. "It's crazy but safe, kid. I'll have Amanda and the kids leave for the time being, treat them to a vacation. I'll have my properties under lockdown, no entry." Michael said, looking at Lester. "Les, you think you can pull up some fake ID's for all of us? That way any hotel reservations can be made under fake names, that way we don't have updated information on our locations."

"Easy. I can get those done by the time we pack." Lester said. "Perfect." Michael turned to face Trevor, who seemed to be listening intently at his commands.

"T, what's the name of that hotel you were telling us about? Near the Unicorn."

"I usually have my dates buy me a drink first, sugartits." Trevor smirked.

"Yeah well bite me. Get us a few reservations there once Lester's done with the ID's. We'll need a place to stay and plan for our next move. You guys go home quick, pack a bag, few clothes and things you'll need til we resolve this shit." Michael sighed as he began to walk upstairs and the men all walked out.

"Fucking Davey..."

_____________________________

It hadn't taken the boys long to put together their personal belongings. Michael was the only one who had temporarily shut down his businesses. Franklin had asked Lamar to stay at his residence and had swapped out his name from his business license with Lamar's so that his business could keep going. Being the only cab company in town, Franklin had to take the chance on his buddy not betraying him completely and keeping the business to himself. He figured 50% of the cut during his absence would put Lamar on his good graces.

Then there was Trevor. Trevor chose to keep his businesses alive as well. He _was_ owner and CEO of Trevor Philips Industries. He called Ron and ordered him to come around to the Unicorn to run things while he was gone, under threat of death, of course. Ron didn't need the threat, and Trevor knew. He loved seeing the man cower.

So once the boys gathered at the parking lot of Trevor's strip club, which wasn't too far from Banner Hotel, the ID cards were exchanged. Lester decided that the boys would check-in at separate hours as not to arouse suspicion in case they were being tailed. So one by one Trevor, Franklin, Lester, and then Michael took turns taking cabs to the hotel. There was a one-hour window for each of them to check in to their room.

Once all men had successfully done so, they made their way to Lester's room, where an intricate blueprint of the FIB building as well as several plans were laid out onto the bed.

"Wow, wheels! I gotta say, you don't need long to put your creepy brain to work," Trevor said in a chipper tone.

"Look who's talking," Lester muttered as he rolled out a list of names and placed on the bed as well.

"Now, first things first, there's two ways to do this. Either we let Dave in on the plan, or we fly solo on this. Either way, we gotta have a plan to storm the building anytime the alarm goes off." Lester said.

"What alarm?" Michael asked suspiciously.

"Well, you don't know this, and neither does your pal Dave, but while you guys were packing, I received valuable intelligence about our 'guy'", Lester used his fingers to quote/unquote the last word. "Turns out, our suspect is a woman who was staying right here at this hotel."

"What the fuck!" Michael exclaimed. "Who? Do we have a name?"

Lester looked up at all three of the men, all of whom were suddenly impatiently leaning over him waiting for an answer. And he couldn't blame them. This was a lot to take in.

"Not quite. And it looks like they've checked out, meaning they're no longer at this hotel." Lester sighed.

Michael looked over at Trevor and narrowed his eyes. "Did you know?"

"Are you fucking kidding me, no I didn't know!" Trevor shouted back.

"Man this is fucked up," Franklin threw his hands up, "now what are we supposed to do? We were so fucking close."

"We still are Frank."

"Wait, Lester, can't you obtain a list of people who've checked out from the hotel recently?" Michael asked with a huge smile.

"Sure, but whose to say they used their real name?" Lester asked.

"Well, if you're saying their hacking skills are subpar then maybe their logic is too." Michael countered.

"I'll pull it up tonight, but we'd need to look for a name you guys are familiar with." Lester nodded at Michael. 

"Right. Davey said something about specific searches, they look us up by name. Which means they know us." Michael explained to the boys.

"Well shit.." Franklin sighed, "you sure they're not some hardcore superfans or some shit? Some crazy ass people out here, shi."

"It's gotta be someone we've wronged." Michael said.

"I thought we tied up all loose ends after our little fight in the quarry," Trevor folded his arms and growled at Michael, "I bet this snake's hiding something, again."

"Drop it, T. You know it ain't like that," Michael said in a warning tone

"Oh really? Then what's it like, cupcake, huh? You wanna tell me you changed all of a sudden? You wanna tell me you actually did something for someone else at the end of the day? Cause from where I'm standing and been standing the past 10 years, you're nothing but a fat wretch of a man." 

"Stop it! Again, you guys are really making this process far more impossible than it needs to be," Lester rolled his eyes, "like a married fucking couple."

Franklin laughed.

"Whatever man. I'm out." Michael said, walking out the door.

"Where you goin, sugartits? Gonna try to blow our cover?" Trevor called after him, to which Michael ignored completely.

Instead of going to his room and drowning his liver in alcohol, he went down to the bar and ordered his drink. He distracted himself with the tv blaring overhead, playing some football game he could care less about. He didn't notice when a figure sat next to him.

"Whiskey neat, please." The woman's voice was soft and oddly familiar.

Michael turned his head slightly to face her and their eyes met.

Both their eyes widened.

"E-Ella?"


	5. Trevor and Ella

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ella encounters faces from her past

"Michael?"  
Ella felt her soul leave her body.  
What were the chances of seeing Michael here, of all places?  
Michael was dead!  
Ella looked at him incredulously, feeling her throat tighten.  
Michael was very aware of the deep shit he was in.  
"Y-you're...you're alive?!" Ella exclaimed.  
"Look, it's a long story, let's just go outside and I'll explain." Michael put his hands up, trying to keep her calm and quiet.  
Ella shook her head in disbelief, feeling completely numb. Her body began to shake as she felt Michael's hands on her.  
"Don't touch me!" She wiggled out of his arms.  
"Please, let's just talk." Michael continued in a calm voice.  
"Talk? Talk about what? How you're alive? Michael, I-.....I can't..." She grabbed her purse and stormed out quickly from the bar and back onto the street. Michael ran after her but lost her right after she stormed out of the double-doors of the hotel.

"Fuck!" He exclaimed as he was left alone again. "Shit, this isn't good."  
He didn't know what to do.  
Would he call Davey? Would he tell the boys?  
He needed to think. He needed to be rational. They were all in deep shit and sometimes, admittedly, his impulsive nature would cause him to make selfish decisions.  
He decided he'd go back to his room and continue to think in peace.

Once he was up in his room, he had found Frank and Lester in their own rooms, but Trevor had left the hotel without a word. Michael knew Trevor was meticulous when he had to be, but maybe it was better he wasn't around this time.

__________________  
"FUCK!" Ella exclaimed as tears spilled from her eyes.  
Michael was alive!! Why hadn't she hugged him tight? Why wasn't she happy? Why wasn't she grateful?  
She knew exactly why. She had been lied to. Michael had lived, and that was saying far more than her brother ever could.  
She felt sick as she found herself in an alleyway, leaning back against the wall, her tears falling freely down her cheeks.  
Her body shook and her mind wandered all over. What did this mean?

Why didn't Michael reach out to her if he was alive?  
Why didn't Brad survive but Michael did?  
Why was Michael unfazed, untouched, here of all places enjoying a drink?  
Why was Michael a free man and her brother, 6 feet under?

Why had she come back? She cursed herself inwardly at coming back to the bar that seemed to have the best whiskey in town.  
She had figured one drink wouldn't compromise her situation. She had checked out earlier this morning and decided that the best way to keep her concealed would be to move from place to place.  
But now she knew that life had a way of working out, that somehow, someway she was at the right place at the right time.  
This would change everything.

But there was something that bothered her still.  
When looking up Davey's profile, she had read the name "Michael" but the last name was different.

"Oh hell yeah boys, look at we got here." Ella turned towards the direction of the voice and found three men in leather jackets walking her way. They were also in the alley with her, emerging from the deep darkness right at the pit of it.

Ella began to panic inwardly.  
As the men neared, she saw their leather jackets had the words "The Lost M.C." written on the upper right over their heart, as well as various emblems all over.  
A biker gang in Los Santos? How original, she thought.

"What's a pretty girl like you doing here all alone?" One of them asked.  
"I was just going home," she said, not making eye contact with them, moving backwards until she hit the wall.  
"Aww, well, why don't you stay for a bit? We can show you around..." One of them placed a palm on the wall behind her, leaning into her.  
The stench of stale booze and sweat wafted into her nostrils and she fought the urge to gag.  
"I'm good." Her voice grew stern as she felt her patience wear thin.  
"No, really," the man grabbed her chin and pulled her face up so now they were making eye contact. "Let's go for a little joyride."

Before Ella could protest, the sharp sound of a bullet pierced into the thick air around them, and the man hovering over Ella fell dead at her feet.  
She was caught off-guard and squealed in fear, backing impossibly further back into the wall.

"PHILIPS!" The two other men at the opposite end exclaimed as they grabbed their guns and in that short two-second window, Ella looked over at the man who had come to her rescue.  
Her eyes widened and she saw him.  
He was here.  
Right. Here.

"Trevor?" Her voice shook as the two other bikers were shot dead. She saw Trevor put down his gun coolly.  
"WHO'S NEXT?!" He hollered, expecting more bikers to emerge from the dark, but when nothing happened, his eyes fell on Ella.

"Holy fuck.." he muttered.  
"Trevor." She said again, almost breathless.  
"Uh...hey gorgeous." He said rather nervously, feeling his heart beat hard against his chest.  
As they took in the appearance of the other, Trevor really did confirm it was her.  
It was really her.  
His first love.

"Trevor...you too." Ella felt her body shake and tears well in her eyes. "What are you doing here?"  
"I should be asking you that, Ells." Trevor spoke in an eerily calm voice. "You're a long way from home."  
"I'm on vacation." Ella blurted.  
"Vacation huh? Out here in the land of plastic and silicon? Good call." Trevor scoffed.  
"Trevor..you're...you're really here. You're not dead." Ella said.  
"Me? Dead? Come onnn...I think you should know me better by now, Ella." He growled.  
He walked closer and closer to her, until she was pinned between his body and the wall behind her.  
"Trevor..." She put a hand on his chest. "This is...too much. You can't expect me to jump into your arms ten years later...ten years after Brad...." her eyes quickly filled with tears.  
She was angry.  
Angry that Brad was the only one gone.  
Angry that Michael and Trevor were both alive and well, and even angrier that she had stumbled upon them both within the span of minutes. In the same place.  
She looked up at Trevor suspiciously.

Trevor noticed the look she gave him and for the first time ever, he felt uneasy.  
"I saw Michael inside." Her rage-filled eyes now bore right into his.  
Trevor scoffed and laughed.  
"Well fuck me sideways, that's great." He said sarcastically, pushing off her. "So now you know that fat snake is alive and well too, huh? The fucking liar." Trevor spoke through grit teeth.  
Ella was a little confused at what Trevor was saying.  
Were they not in on this together?  
"Wait...what?" Ella asked.

"He lied to us, Ells, he lied to everyone!" Trevor growled, but tried to calm himself. "Not just you."  
"What do you mean he lied..?" Ella asked.  
Trevor gave her a grim look, which spoke volumes.  
Ella gasped and a fresh set of tears streamed down her cheeks.  
"You mean... Brad.. It was Michael all along?" 

For once, Trevor didn't know if he'd let his emotions speak. He was angry and hurt, but more than anything else, he was loyal. He would never let harm befall his friends and for some reason or another, Trevor still considered Michael his fat snake of a best friend who he'd give his life for.  
Michael had been sorry, very sorry, and maybe his reasons hadn't been entirely selfish.  
"Listen," Trevor held Ella's shoulders firmly in place, their eyes locking together, "I'm going to tell you everything, but you need to take a deep breath. And I know it's ironic coming from me, but you need to relax before I tell you everything."  
"Are you...Are you defending him?" Ella asked, searching his eyes for any trace of truth.

Trevor was quiet because he damn well knew the truth would shatter Ella as it had shattered him.  
"Brad was my best friend." Trevor said, feeling Ella relax in his hands. "Brad didn't deserve the shit that happened to him, but you need to trust me on this. Get some rest tonight and meet me at the vanilla unicorn tomorrow evening." He assured.  
"That sleazy strip club three blocks down?" She asked suspiciously.  
"Hey sweetheart, that sleazy strip club belongs to me." He said, pointing to himself.  
Ella's eyes widened.  
"And drinks are on me." Trevor smiled, letting her go.  
Contemplating his words, Ella nodded. "Fine. Tomorrow, same time. I'll be there."


	6. Bad influence

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Brad wasn't always a criminal.  
> The boys draw up a plan but Trevor has a plan of his own.  
> Also, a small flashback with T and B!

The cab ride back to the motel was uncomfortable.  
Many times, Ella had managed to keep herself from bursting into tears. She came here looking for a resolve but now it seems things were far more complicated than she had initially thought.  
First, Michael shows up, and within minutes, Trevor?  
She didn't know if this new revelation from Trevor would completely shit on her attempt to exact revenge. Perhaps it would only add fuel to her ever-burning fire.  
In any case, she needed to investigate further before making her next move. Now, more than ever, she needed to be meticulous, garner any morsel of information she could from Trevor.  
Now, when Ella was so close to attaining the peace she had longed for since that cruel night in Ludendorff in 2014, and not a moment later.

When she was back in her motel room, she powered on her new laptop and began to go through whatever she had saved of Dave's files again. She slapped her forehead, completely exasperated.  
How could she have missed the name "Trevor Philips"? It was right there! Right in the heart of the photographs detailing the latest trouble the FIB had faced.  
She hadn't thought to read anything pertaining to Dave's recent work. how would it possible impact her? Why would she need any of that after all? But now she knew why.  
So Ella didn't sleep a wink that night. Instead, she read word for word the FIB reports that Davey had personally written, some pretty easily displayed, and some that Dave had clearly attempted to sweep under the rug as it took Ella a series of passwords to get through to them. Her hacking skills were coming in handy after all.  
  
______________________

The following morning, Trevor woke up with a start, laying in bed with his left leg swinging off the side of the bed, cuddling a bottle of half-consumed beer, and a puddle of spit at the corner of his mouth.  
He threw the beer down, sat upright, and sighed, feeling a sharp pang of pain in his head.  
"Fucking shit. Forgot the good stuff." He mumbled to himself as his hands fumbled into his jeans jacket which laid on the bed. By "good stuff", he had meant speed.  
His favorite indulgence, other than the occasional silicon-tit, money hungry sluts that Los Santos seemed to have ample amounts of (and which were far more accessible than speed).  
His mind immediately went to Ella. Looking down at his hands, he remembered they'd be meeting tonight and for the first time, the baddest, craziest motherfucker (not literally) felt something he wouldn't usually feel, a feeling so uncommon to him that he felt he'd pass out: Apprehension.  
  
He heard a series of knocks on his door and without even so much as bothering to put on some pants, he walked slowly to the door, nearly stumbling over empty beer bottles. He rubbed his eyes as he opened the door.  
"Ah, sugartits. Here for a quickie?" Trevor joked as he moved away from the door and let Michael enter.  
"Ah, bite me. We're gonna go downtown, have a little chat with Davey." Michael said.  
"For fucks sakes, Mikey, ever since you became a puppet to that government piece of FUCK, you've been acting way different. We used to take scores man, we used to fuck shit up! Without reason! Ever since that little bitch came along, it's like I've lost my best friend!" Trevor growled at Michael, raising his voice.  
"Listen T, I ain't gonna do this again. We've talked about this before." Michael sighed.  
"Yeah. Yeah we have." Trevor nodded impatiently, "but I don't see an ounce of that guilt on that ugly mug of yours. You know what, Mikey? My being here just proves that I'm a way better man and a way better friend than you ever were."  
Michael laughed. "Oh yes, Trevor, you certainly are. Picking up hitchhikers, and then eatin' 'em, oh HELL yes, T."  
"At least I don't sell my friends to the fucking feds!" Trevor screamed. "Even. Now."  
Michael's smile was lost as he eyed Trevor. "Now?"  
Trevor cracked his neck and had a wild grin on his face. "Why so surprised? Are you sure this ain't your way of just finishing us off so you could go ride off into the sunset with your dysfunctional family?" Michael was used to hearing Trevor's outrageous remarks about his family and his betrayal, but this time....this time was different.  
  
And Michael didn't know if it had anything to do with Ella.  
In fact, Michael and Trevor had both kept their encounters with her a secret. Michael didn't think it would be important to bring it up, especially in the presence of Trevor. Trevor, on the other hand, needed time to process it. He didn't feel obligated to tell anyone about anything. He was capable of handling his own shit, and given the history between Ella and himself...  
"You know what, T, I'm not gonna do this today." Michael said, walking out of the door. "We'll be downstairs in 15 minutes. Meet us there, Les needs to go over general specifics."  
And with that, Michael had slammed the door shut behind him, making Trevor growl and throw a lamp to the door where Michael had left.  
  
15 minutes later, Lester and Franklin were sitting on the bench outside the entrance. Michael was having a cigarette, and Trevor walked out with a deep scowl on his face. He made eye contact with Michael and growled.  
"Hey wheels, kid," Trevor greeted the two sitting on the bench.  
"Yo man, wassup, how'd you sleep?" Franklin asked.  
"Decent." Trevor said shortly.  
"Now that pleasantries are out of the way," Lester cleared his throat, "how about we get to it?"  
Michael put out his cigarette as Lester flipped open his laptop, and all the men gathered around, watching Lester's quick fingers work the computer.  
"I noticed more activity on Dave's profile all through last night. But this time, we had a search for specific names: Michael Townley and Trevor Philips." Lester said as he eyed the two.  
"So, what, now we're being stalked?" Michael asked.  
"Not quite. It seems they're more interested in the, uh, shenanigans you've undergone with the IAA and FIB over your past criminal history." Lester informed.  
"Well, isn't all that shit visible if people search up your name in a database?" Trevor asked.  
"Not when I wipe any trace of your involvement in those crimes from the database. And since I took care of all that back then, the only record of anyone's name remaining is namely as a direct relationship to the case-files of government workers. Dave Norton has a case-file, and a ton of work under his belt. I did a search of my own. Michael Townley is involved in the Witness Protection Program and Trevor Philips, a former accomplice of Michael Townley, is MIA. Unless..."  
  
The air got thick around the men.  
  
Lester looked up at Michael. "Unless they were able to get into Dave's private profile." Lester said grimly.  
  
"Private- what private profile?" Trevor asked impatiently.  
"Each agent has a personal profile that only they themselves can access. Anything they write here is for record-keeping and cannot be subject to any sort of federal investigation. You could literally get away with murder with this.." Lester sighed.  
"Shit..." Franklin sighed. "Wait, you mean Dave would write down every single shit we've ever done to fuck over the government?!"  
"Kid, it's okay." Michael said, trying to calm Franklin. "Really, I don't think Davey would do something that would jeopardize himself either."  
"Don't listen to this fat snake, kid," Trevor bit, "he's always found a way to pull the rug from under us."  
"Well, whatever the case, our hacker knows too much." Lester said, clearing his throat. Closing his laptop, he put it back in the bag.  
"What do we do now?" Franklin asked.  
"We keep our heads down." Lester looked up at Michael. "And Mike, you tell Dave we're on the way. I'd like to address a few of these...anomalies."  
  
Michael nodded. "I think it'll be your first time meeting Davey."  
"Oh happy day! Make sure to put on a pot of coffee!" Trevor said sarcastically. He began to walk away.  
  
"Hey, where are you going, T?" Michael asked after him.  
"Business, sugartits. Business!"  
"We're all supposed to be there, T! This involves all of us!" Michael called after Trevor, but his words fell on deaf ears.  
  
Trevor huffed and scoffed as he walked to the Unicorn, which took only about 10-15 minutes. He was completely fine with it too, unlike, as he'd put it, the 'Vinewood fruitcakes who'd take a cab to get to the next street over'.  
For some reason, he wasn't as bothered about this sticky situation Dave was in as much as the other guys were. Maybe his mind was completely occupied with Ella. Their chance encounter had pushed aside all the usual mundaneness in his head and had instead wandered back into the past. Right now, he couldn't be bothered by his past misconduct and wrongdoing.  
Trevor was very well aware of his criminal history, the preconceived notions people had about him, all the bullshit he had to undergo to be where he was today. Frankly, none of it mattered. None as much as Ella. And as Trevor walked into his office, he realized, Ella was his first love.  
Ella was the first woman he had been vulnerable with.  
All those years of rejection and crime, getting kicked out of the Navy, his abandonment issues, the awful sexual indignity that he'd been subjected to...all those impactful motions faded away with a single thought of her.  
Trevor sighed as he sat down, for once realizing he had the Speed he desired right there in his desk drawer, but choosing to ignore it for a few more vulnerable moments as his thoughts wandered to that fateful night.  
  
**(Flashback)**

_"So, uh, we really doin this?" Brad asked nervously, looking around awkwardly._

_Trevor grabbed him by the back of his neck and, with a gruff voice, chuckled. "Are we gonna pussy out already?"_

_"N-no, man, just-just this is my first robbery and-"_

_"BLAHBLAHBLAHBLAH shut the fuck up! Man, Bradley, I really thought you had the nuts for this job! It's pretty fucking simple." Trevor scolded as he handed Brad a combat pistol and a mask._

_"Whoa, man," Brad's voice faded as Trevor put on his mask, grabbed his gun of choice, and an empty cloth bag, shoving it in Brad's hands._

_"Hold this, and keep quiet. Shouldn't be a big take, but it'll give you an idea of what we do." Trevor explained as he walked through the shadows with Brad close behind him._

_Counting down from 3, Trevor nodded at Brad and busted through the front door of the tiny mini-mart, stomping all the way to the front of the store where the nervous, startled clerk held his hands up._

_"GIMME ALL OF YOUR FUCKIN MONEY!" Trevor screamed as he motioned for Brad to drop the empty bag on the counter. Trevor was the only one pointing his gun at the man, threatening him. The man, shuddering in fear, complied shakily and opened the register, pouring all of the cash into the bag. Trevor quickly grabbed it and both he and Brad were out of the door within seconds._

_Slamming the door of the car shut, Trevor drove off, whooping and laughing as the adrenaline still coursed through him._

_Brad shakily removed his mask and looked down at the bag of cash. He also experienced a bit of a rush, but it was cold sweat and sticky hands. His heart didn't seem to settle for several minutes._

_Trevor drove about another 20 minutes and pulled into the motel. They quickly snuck back into their room and Trevor dumped the cash on one of the beds._

_"Ohh kid, good work! Remember what we agreed on. 80/20." Trevor said gruffly as he began sorting through the cash._

_Brad, knowing those weren't the original term they had agreed on (70/30) decided that for now, a man who was so comfortable doing what they just did was not someone to be bartering with. Besides, this was his first experience. His first taste at the wonderful world of robbery. And Brad knew Trevor was part of a bigger group, a group so notorious in their victories. He knew that this was just the one of many, and that he could risk losing out on a hundred dollars or so at the moment because, let's face it, the mini-mart was novice-work, and small joints like that don't offer a major take anyway._

_Brad grabbed the cash Trevor had laid out for him and put it in his pockets._

_"Ah, I'll tell ya, Bradly," Trevor said as he grabbed a bottle of beer and threw it at him, "there are two types of people in the world: tops and bottoms. We're on top, cause we ain't the ones getting fucked. We're doing aallll the fucking, my friend." Trevor laughed sinisterly, cracking open his bottle of beer and gulping it all down._

** (End Flashback) **

Trevor sighed and leaned back.

That first night. That night Brad had willingly agreed to join their crew. After that night, Brad and Trevor went on to take multiple small-scale scores, to better prepare them for larger ones that Lester would often take his time with, but would be worthwhile. They'd get by for half a year often, but Trevor knew that the group of young men chose to do what they loved regardless. It was never about the money, but from the rush and getting away with it.

His mind continued to wander to those nights, those heists that he so missed. None of this government bullshit, just fucking shit up purely for the rush of it.

His thoughts were interrupted, however, when he heard a knock at the door. He looked up at it. "Come in." He said in a gruff, low voice.

The door was pushed slightly open and Ella slowly appeared.

"Trevor."


	7. Catching up with Trevor Philips

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ella opens up to Trevor about what happened before and after Brad's untimely demise.

Ella stood at the door for what seemed like hours. Both her and Trevor were frozen, completely lost in each other.

Her heart fluttered in her chest, but it was unclear for what reason. Was she happy to see him? Was she angry? Was she enticed by the prospect of revenge?  
Frankly, all those thoughts in perfect synchronicity held her interest but for whatever reason, her legs barely willed her to walk further through the door.

"Come in." Trevor said softly, motioning for her to walk forward as he stood up slowly from the dainty couch at the side of the room.

With a quiet, nervous sigh, Ella began to move her now shaky legs. Closing the door behind her, she began to walk forward, noticing the large photo frames on the walls of what seemed like Trevors office. She wouldn't call the images distasteful, but they weren't exactly art either. They were perfect for what this place was: a cheap strip join in the heart of downtown Los Santos.

"Trevor." Ella said in a low voice as she walked up to Trevor, who sized her up as she walked towards him. He couldn't help it. There was a familiar warmth that filled the pit of his belly as she stood in close proximity to him.

He wanted her. Again.

"Ella-"

"Look, Trevor," Ella cut him off, looking directly into Trevor's softened eyes, "I'm not here to barter. I just need to know the truth. What the hell is going on?"

Trevor sighed and gave her a small smile, which only further shocked her. Trevor was a fucking menace, even back then. The deep scowl and the furrowed eyebrows were characteristics that practically defined him. Even years later, she'd expect him to grow even harder, even rougher around the edges. But to her surprise, it seemed quite the opposite.

Had Trevor softened up?

"Let's get a drink before we talk." Trevor suggested, but Ella pushed him back on the couch. She sat down right next to him.

"No. Let's talk first." She insisted.

"Jeez," he muttered before she cut him off again.

"Trevor, we can't pretend that this is the reunion we had hoped for." She said, locking eyes with him. To Trevor's surprise, Ella seemed determined. It was like she was here with a list full of questions and a determination to get them all answered.

"Right down to business, huh? Okay cupcake, I don't mind at all." His voice took a suggestive tone, but Ella knew it was just Trevor being Trevor. She sighed and chuckled softly. She realized she may have come off strong but the niceties would have to wait until after she obtained the answers she needed. Because she'd be damned if she didn't have a solid plan by the end of the night.

"Trevor. I don't even know where to begin." She admitted, losing her smile.

"Well, start with why you're here, sugar." Trevor said, leaning back and crossed one leg over the other.

"I told you, I'm on vacation." Ella lied easily.

"Bullshit." He said plainly.

"What?" She questioned.

"It's a lie. A woman on vacation doesn't bust willingly into the backdoor of a strip club demanding answers, does she sugar?" Trevor smirked, looking up at her matter-of-factly. Trevor knew Ella, inside out, literally. He knew Ella wouldn't bust a trip to Los Santos to go sight-seeing.

He chuckled and looked her dead in the eye, a memory causing a stir in his nether regions.

"Remember what happened last time you lied to me?" Trevor asked, cocking an eyebrow.

**(Start Flashback)**

_"Trevor! Stop!!" Ella laughed out as Trevor grabbed her from behind and lifted her off the ground, twirling her around several times, making the young girl scream._  
_"WE DID IT!! YES!! WE'RE FILTHY, FUCKING RICH!" Trevor shouted in an overly exaggerated tone as he spun her round and round._  
_Brad smiled at the two as he exited the black van holding three bags full of cash._

_"Oh fuck yeah! Check this out, baby sis! My first official take with T and his crew!" Brad exclaimed as he walked inside a dilapidated home with the bags._

_It was midnight. Surely they shouldn't have been making all the noise but at the moment, Brad and Trevor were high on the rush of their recent heist and Ella, the ever supportive sister of the newest member of the bandits, was staring into the eyes of the rough-around-the-edges-yet-charming Trevor Philips._

_There was something so strangely sexy about the way his eyes knitted together in concentration as he stared back._

_They had both quieted down but Trevor held her in his arms, completely enraptured by her baby blue orbs._

_They found each other leaning in but soon, as Brad cleared his throat and walked by, the two had separated._

_They watched Brad grab another few bags and slip back into the house. All the while, Trevor looked down at Ella with a playful grin._

_"You were gonna kiss me, eh?" He asked amused._

_"Not even." Ella scoffed._

_Trevor grabbed her by the arm and pulled her up to him, their bodies in perfect alignment with each other._

_"Oh really?" He asked._

_It was as if the world melted away right then and there. At that moment, nothing and no one other than Trevor and Ella existed.  
_ _Ella panicked slightly when she realized Trevor leaning slowly down towards her and reluctantly broke away from his arms with a smile. Trevor was able to land a smack on her ass before she was out of arms length. He watched as the girl walked inside the house, turning around briefly and smiling at him in a way no one had ever smiled at him before then._

**(End Flashback)**

Ella chuckled. "Are you going to spank me?" She asked, carefully choosing her words.

"Spank? Now we're talkin, sugar," Trevor growled, moving up to sit closer to Ella, who seemed to have dropped her uncertainty briefly as she recounted the history between them.  
There was so much of it.

"Trevor," Ella put her hand up, stopping his advances. Trevor chuckled and proceeded to continue surprising Ella, and himself, as he backed off and chuckled in response to her nervousness. 

He ordered them drinks and a few things to eat. The strip club didn't offer catering by any means, but upon threatened to dismember a few busboys, they had reluctantly brought back some cluckin bell to the pair who sat side by side and discussed things civilly.

Trevor couldn't remember the last time he had enjoyed someone's company so much.

"So, let me get this straight. Michael _is_ alive." Ella said as a means of clarification.

"Correct." Trevor nodded.

"Thanks to witness protection?" She asked. "What does that mean?"

"It means Mikey wasn't a very good friend." Trevor said through clenched teeth. "Not to me, and especially not to Brad."

"I...ran into him. Yesterday. He was at the bar of the hotel but I didn't know it was him. It was like seeing a-"  
"A ghost?" Trevor asked.

"Exactly." Ella nodded.

"Yeah, tell me about it. Imagine my surprise when I found out he was alive. _Oooooh_ I wanted to fucking kill him!" Trevor growled.

Ella looked at him surprised and caught off-guard by the way his voice rose in anger. So Trevor was angry but he wasn't really surprised at the fact that Ella had seen him. Almost as if he knew Michael was around.

"Wait. Trevor. I saw him yesterday. I mean, are you two..." 

"Are we a group of fucked-up dysfunctional friends? You betcha." Trevor smirked. "I mean, I give him lots of shit about the past. I'll never let that shit go, especially knowing that I was supposed to be buried right there next to Brad that night in 2004. Fucking snake, he is." Trevor gulped down the can of beer in his fist. "I'll never forgive him for that shit, no matter how much he wallows and begs. But he's my best friend."

Ella remained quiet and looked down at her feet. Her appetite was lost. From where she was standing, it seemed Trevor didn't seem to care a wink about Brad. Brad was a wide-eyed, innocent young man looking for an easier way, looking up to Trevor for guidance. And all Trevor did was lead him to an early grave, and no remorse. Ella smirked in disbelief, her eyes burning with tears. She immediately stood up, making no eye contact with Trevor as she began to walk away. But Trevor caught her arm right on time and kept her from moving forward.

"Ella, what the-"  
"Let go of me Trevor, let go," Ella said in a shaky, impatient voice.

"What's wrong?" He asked.

"You never cared, that's what." She said as tears flowed down her cheeks. "You just sit here and remember the past, you reminisce as if it was okay what Michael did."  
"It was _not_ okay, sugar. Nothing about this situation. Is. Okay." He said.

"Then why do you act like it is? Brad died, Trev. My brother...my brother died!" Ella sobbed, pulling her arm forcefully out of Trevor's grip and wiping her tears.

"Don't you think I mourned and grieved every singly fucking day after? Do you think a day went by without thinking about you? About Brad? About Mikey?" Trevor asked.

"Fuck Michael." Ella bit.

"Yeah. Fuck him. Trust me, I gave him hell about it. Even got him kidnapped by some Chinese gangsters who almost, _almost_ butchered him." A wide grin was now on Trevor's face as he looked down at Ella, who seemed...confused.

"Yeah, you heard me right. Mikey was about to become cat food." Trevor laughed out.

Ella, for a split second, as if completely taken by Trevor's loss of seriousness at the matter, sighed and smiled.

"He was?" She asked.

"Oh yeah, it was a whole thing! Pretty recent too. It was when I found out the truth about Brad. I mean, all this time I thought the guy was alive. I kept writing and writing letters to him everyday, thinking he was in prison." Trevor admitted.

"Wait, really? Why would you think that?" Ella asked. "The night it all went south, we found out about it. Got a trooper at the door telling us Brad was gone. We requested to bury him but it had to be done privately. I think it's bullshit but my parents bought it, being such law abiding citizens and all."

"What bullshit did they feed your parents?" Trevor scoffed.

At this point, the two walked back to the couch and sat side by side once again.

"I can't even remember, but the funeral was a closed-casket and the only people present had to be my parents and I. No one else. It was almost suspicious but it didn't matter. My brother never came back, and he wouldn't be either way." Ella sighed.

"You're right, it's bullshit. Because I found out as recently as Mikey almost became cat food, that Brad was buried in place of one Michael Townley. 'member him? Yeah, _the_ Mikey that sold us all out to the feds for absolute _bullshit_ , selfish reasons." Trevor stated. "And I hate him for it. I don't care that we are best friends, I will never trust that _fuck_ for as long as I live."

"Then, why be friends?" Ella asked.

"Because, he keeps me on my fucking toes. Mikey comes with the cripple, who's the brains behind all this shit. Now, we got a new guy, Franklin. He's a good kid, but poor guy is being strung along by Michael, I imagine he'll soon have a revelation of his own and resent Mikey just like I do. I'm here for the thrill, the scores, and to keep the kid from turning into another Michael."

Ella nodded, taking in Trevor's words.

"Wait, you said you were writing Brad?" 

Trevor smiled. "That is a story on its own. Fucking Dave Norton, the man who tainted Michael. The government _snake_ that _slithered_ into Mikey's asshole and now pulls all of Mikey's strings. He was the one who got Mike on the WPP." 

Ella tried not to attach importance to Dave Norton or her knowledge about him. She decided to drop that topic immediately before she blew any cover she had.

"Well, our pal Davey," Trevor continued, "he was the one writing the letters pretending to be Brad. I was about to fucking kill him but Michael said he's the only one who can keep us out of trouble for our past...indiscretions."

"Indiscretions? Do you mean when Brad died?" Ella asked bitterly.

"Oh no. It turns out the FIB was always onto us. Michael was offered a way out if he came clean and admitted it. But the leverage he offered was at the behest of Brad and myself, two criminals who were lowlives and whose lives clearly didn't matter. So the FIB storm in, shoot Mikey and Brad, but I make a clean getaway. Mikey, like most snakes, doesn't die easily. But Brad...well apparently Brad did right then and there. None of them expected old T-revor to escape. That was _not_ part of the plan." Trevor growls. "Ahh I don't wanna talk about this. _Fuck_ it. The more I think about it the more I wanna strangle that two-timing asa swipe!"

Ella studied Trevor's face as he muttered and cursed under his breath, clearly reopening old wounds. She placed a hand over Trevor's, who immediately quieted down and looked at her, his eyes once again softening as they made contact with hers.

"Let's not talk about it, then." Ella smiled.  
She had received valuable information, and not just for her own benefit but for her knowledge. She felt...sated.

She had some answers, at least.


	8. Interrogating Michael

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Things are slowly starting to heat up but not without an uncomfortable conversation first.

Days had passed since Ella's and Trevor's encounter.

The boys had gone back to their homes and their regular routines as Dave had given them the all-clear.

Apparently, the hacking had ceased entirely. While this seemed suspicious, and Dave was on his toes more than ever, Lester had suggested he go away on 'vacation' for the time being while the boys hunkered back down into their daily routines, all while keeping their eyes peeled.  
So Davey had booked a flight to Liberty City, where he decided to lay low with some relatives. Lester had initially suggested this idea, and Davey, as reluctant as he was to leave in the first place, knew it was a wise choice.

Michael was home again with his wife and kids.

Lounging on his couch, he sighed and threw the remote to the side. He stood up and stretched before walking out the door and right into his all black Tailgator. Before driving off, he put his head back on the headrest and for the tenth time today, thought about the woman he had seen just days ago.

Ella.

There was something strange about the whole thing, but he knew it was pointless pursuing the thought. He drove straight to the vanilla unicorn, somewhere he was frequenting far too often recently. Not that he was necessarily okay with that either, but with his latest film complete, he didn't have much to do while Amanda was away on shopping sprees and his kids were busy doing God only knows what.

Walking in, Michael was greeted by all the workers. He smirked and wondered whether they showed the respect as a friend of the owner or for the fact that he was now a famous film producer. It didn't matter, but Michael was always one to gloat deep inside.

"There you are, sugartits. You're late." Trevor sneered as he walked past Michael towards the back of the club. Michael began to follow immediately.

"Bite me. I'm don't have to be here, you know." Michael replied.

"Ohh, I think you do, my friend." Trevor said, turning back and jabbing a finger into Michael's chest. "In fact, I think you're fucking obliged to do so."

Michael was less than shocked at Trevor's outburst. He was as unpredictable as it got, so Michael just rolled his eyes and resumed walking behind the madman. As soon as Trevor opened the door to his office, Michael walked in and was met immediately by the same baby blue orbs that had left him captivated for days.

"Ella?" Michael asked in awe.

Ella stood up from her seat and the emotion behind her eyes was almost unreadable. Michael had no idea how she felt, or how he felt. He stood frozen at the door, cursing himself for the lack of strength he had to walk to her and greet her like a decent human being. He was just...shocked.

"Well Mikey?" Trevor asked, "you gonna just stand there or be a fucking gentleman?"

Michael walked to Ella and embraced her. Tight. Ella could barely hug him back. Her eyes welled with tears but it was only due to the uncertainty. She was so mad at him, so hurt, upset, disappointed. But Michael's familiar embrace was warm. It was welcoming. It felt...good.

Once he pulled away, he held her at arms length and studied her face. 

"Ella...I....I can't believe you're here." Michael said.

"Well? Get settled Mikey, we got _lots_ to catch up on." Trevor said, pulling Ella down to sit beside him on the couch. He had noticed their body language as they embraced, and he didn't like it one bit. In fact, it reminded Trevor of the origins of his competitive nature with Michael.

"What is this?" Michael asked, sitting down next to Ella.

"I need an answer, Michael." Ella said with a sigh. "About my brother."

Michael's heart began to pound and a large wave of anxiety washed over him, but he was very good at masking his emotions. To Trevor and Ella, he seemed as cool as a cucumber, but he was internally dying inside, knowing exactly what Ella was here for.

"Brad." Michael sighed.

"Did you get him killed?" Ella asked bluntly.

"Whoa, sugar, take it _slow_ ," Trevor smirked, "really make him _squirm_."

His comment was ignored by both Ella and Michael, who both seemed to have this dark cloud looming over them. 

"I didn't get him killed. I had a family, Ella. Jimmy and Tracey, they were kids, I-"

" _Brad_ was a kid, Michael. Brad had a family. Brad was my older brother, he took _care_ of me," Ella's eyes began to fill with tears.

"Listen, I get it. I didn't want anyone to die." Michael sighed.

"You sure about that?" Trevor asked.

Michael glared at Trevor. He knew somehow, someway Trevor would bring this shit full circle, and here it was, happening.

And with Davey out of town, Michael's mind worked a million miles an hour as he tried to decipher what this moment meant.

"So you called me here to do what, exactly?" Michael asked as he turned his attention to Trevor.

"Oh, not me buddy, I'm fine with the shit between us. I'm fucking satisfied cause every single day you're _alive_ , is punishment for doing what you did. But that's just me. Ella might have a different perspective." Trevor said, placing a hand on Ella's hand resting on her lap.

Michael glanced down at the gesture and could't help but growl inwardly.

"I just want to know, was it part of the plan to have Brad die?" Ella asked uncomfortably.

Michael swallowed the lump in his throat and his eyes searched hers. He knew he couldn't bullshit his way out of this. For the sake of their past, he knew he had to be honest. 

"Yes." Michael answered.

Ella's brows knitted together and she leaned in closer.

"Did you plan to do this from the start?" Ella asked.

"No." Michael answered. "You want me to be honest? I loved the kid. He was full of life and eager. And, Ella?"

Ella nodded. 

"I was hoping Brad and Trevor could survive, somehow. I was already guaranteed freedom if I went ahead with the mission, but-"

"Why you?" Ella asked.

"Why me? Because Trevor and Brad, the dynamic fucking duo, were causing problems left and right. The crew wasn't exactly organized. They'd go on rogue missions, causing problems and committing crimes that were not part of the dynamic of Lester's crew, which I was a part of. I was a bit more...rational. I was able to strike a deal with the feds so that I could get a clean start for my family." Michael explained.

Ella looked back at Trevor. "You never told me about these rogue missions."

"Rogue missions, my ass. I was training the kid." Trevor said. "We never caused trouble that big enough to get us on a fucking kill list." Trevor glared at Michael. "Wouldn't you go on these 'rogue missions' when you first started Mikey?"

"Yeah, robbing convenience stores and breaking into vending machines, jackass. Not killing people and drinking their blood."

"Oh, the **_exaggeration_**! You know what, Mikey, I don't think you'll ever understand what honesty and integrity are." 

"Oh really, T? That's rich coming from a blood-sucking-"

"Stop!" Ella shouted between the two men, who had both leaned up against her to argue in each other's faces. This was familiar to her but they were older now and much less tolerable. The only thing Ella could focus on was their body language. Two muscular, trained bodies about to collide with hers as a surge of testosterone washed over them. She could almost feel a slight slickness between her legs but the thought got her dizzy quick and she instantly sighed, trying to relax.

"I don't want to argue, I'm not here for that." Ella sighed.

"Then, why are you here?" Michael asked.

"She's here to see us, Mikey. She wants answers about Brad, and I intend to help her get them." Trevor grinned.

"Well, then. Glad I could help." Michael nodded to Ella.

Ella smiled. "I'm planning on being here just a bit longer anyway. Figured I'd also use this opportunity to get away for a little bit. I haven't exactly taken a vacation, ever. I figured Vinewood would be a good place to start."

"You _figured_ wrong, honey, but I already gave you hell for it." Trevor smirked. "I'm gonna give it to ya straight, sugar, I'm the only good thing about this place."

Michael laughed as he stood up and approached the decanter full of whiskey on Trevor's desk. "Oh that's rich, T. You belong here in plastic town just as much as any of us."

"Ignore Mikey. All he does all day is watch tv and stare at the clouds, his brain cells are committing suicide as we speak." Trevor smirked.

"Apoptosis." Ella smirked. Both men looked at her questioning what she just said.

"Apoptosis?" Ella asked both. "Programmed cell death? Uh...I guess I should have told you I've gotten a couple of degrees in Science on my downtime."

"Wow, beauty _and_ brains?" Trevor whistled as he looked at Ella and then Michael. "Giving me a semi."

"Hey man, too much information." Michael took a swig of his whiskey.  
Ella was blushing at Trevor's statement. Trevor stood up and fetched a drink for himself and Ella as well.

They spent the rest of the day talking, but the conversation was light.

Ella had trouble focusing as she drank more and more. Both men sat on either side of her and she could practically inhale their scent everytime she breathed. If there was a female equivalence of a semi, she definitely had it.

Some moments, her eyes would lock with Trevors.  
At others, there was an intense lock with Michaels.

Each time they did, Michael took another swig, not breaking eye contact with her. It was quite erotic and she knew it was done purposely.

Meanwhile, Trevor's hands had found hers once again, resting painfully close to her crotch. She shifted a few times but he'd somehow pull her hand back right there, close to the heat but still so painfully far.

Ella knew she could only take so much fuel for her inner fire.


	9. Feelings

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Another chapter!  
> I'm so sorry but I'm going to tweak the description of this story a little bit. I have a new direction I want this to go, which I think you'll enjoy a lot more.
> 
> And yes, things are definitely going to heat up next chapter. ;)

Things had gotten complicated for Ella.

A LOT more complicated.

She wasn't exactly planning on seeing any familiar faces, nor was she counting on staying in Los Santos this long. The impracticality of hotel rooms had gotten to her and she decided to rent a studio over on Hawick Avenue across from Los Santos customs. The area was very 'touristy' as she described it, but it was conveniently close to convenience stores. She could walk without having to hail taxi's every time, which added up. She needed to be wise with her money too.

Luckily, that wasn't something she was short of either. So her focus hadn't shifted completely away from her initial goal: trapping Dave Norton.

She had cooled it with the hacking and was laying low as best as she could. She had found out that Dave was out of town, which raised the alarm on her operations. He knew he was being pursued, which is why she put a lid on it.

Trevor and Michael had found out where she lived now but neither of them had come around. Perhaps it was for the best. Though it had been nearly a week since interrogating Michael in Trevor's office, she remembered the raw lust swelling within her quite well. It was still there, and stronger than ever. Her dreams reminded her of all their past encounters so vividly, replaying them in her head.

She could still feel Michael's drunk body pushed against hers one night.

The next night, Trevor had her by the throat in the back of the white utility van, rutting against her naked body in a slow, passionate love-making session.

Ella sighed at the memories and clutched the hot mug of coffee in her hand as she walked to a window. The dreams only worsened every night, it was almost like they were telling her something.

She only prayed this wouldn't distract her from her initial goal. She was here for Brad, not for her needs. Needs could be easily sated but she needed to keep her eyes on the prize.

But then again, how could she ignore her body? 

The loud-pitched ringing of her phone shattered those thoughts momentarily. She scurried to pick it up, only to realize it was Trevor.

"Trevor?" She asked.

" _Ellaaaaaa_ ," his sing-song voice screeched on the other line, "well well _well_ , hello." His voice grew huskier with each word.

"Hi Trevor," Ella smiled, feeling all the butterflies fill her stomach, which was typical when she heard his voice.

"Is it just me, or do we have a lot of catching up to do, sugar." He said in a deeper voice than usual, causing Ella to cross her legs and keep her voice from quaking when she spoke.

"Well, that's certainly-uh, yes, I think so," she managed to stutter. Trevor chuckled on the other end of the line.

"Listen, I'll come by to pick you up. We should go up to my place in Sandy Shores. Got some business to attend to anyway, it'll be nice to reminisce." Trevor said.

"Reminisce?" Ella asked.

"Oh, don't think I've forgotten about you. You're back in my life and I intend to make sure I take advantage of every second of it. Ever since Mikey did us wrong, the fat turd, I won't be letting things go so easily, not even you." He explained.

"Fine, that's fine," Ella sighed, pulling herself to her feet, "I could use a little change in scenery."

"Hold that thought, sugar. It's gonna be a long drive, we'll have something to talk about. See you in a bit." And with that, he hung up.

Ella sighed. Honestly, she could think of a few things to do on that long drive he described...

As promised, Trevor had been there in 'a bit', AKA 15 minutes. He watched the way she walked down the stairs and towards his 'rusty but trusty' Bodhi, as he had described it to Ella. She was taken aback at the stains and images of half naked women all over the dashboard, much to Trevor's amusement. At each stoplight, their eyes didn't fall away from each other.

At some point, Trevor had even placed a hand over hers. Again. Ella's heartbeat escalated quite a bit. Something about the feel of his rough, calloused fingers on her much softer ones really set her body ablaze.

"So, what d'ya say?" Trevor asked.

"Huh?" Ella looked at him surprised, her wild thoughts suppressed ever-so-slightly at his question. 

Trevor grinned. "Are you paying attention at all? I'm not distracting you, am I?" He asked, moving the hand he held hers with closer to her lower belly. "Because if that's the case, I could-" He slowly began to pull his hand away from hers, but was delighted to discover the way Ella held his hand firmly in place.

"It's...not a distraction." She smiled at him. He could read the need loud and clear but why not play with his food.

He decided to drop the subject for now and told Ella all about the new scores he had been taking with Michael again, this time with a new crew member, Franklin. 

At the mention of the new crew mate, Trevor could sense Ella's sadness. Brad had been the third crew mate and now it seemed the world was going forward despite his being gone. The crew was back together, kicking ass and taking names again, and it seems no one cared. It really put a damper on her mood and Trevor felt it. 

"Hey, what's wrong?" He asked, gripping Ella's chin and turning her to face him as he continued flying down the highway.

"It's nothing." She said.

"Hey, I know when something's bothering you." Trevor growled. "Spill."

"Brad. He was your crew mate, too." Ella said.

"Yeah, he was. He was part of the original team." Trevor sighed and focused his gaze on the road again. 

"I'm sorry I keep bringing him up but-"

"Fuck no! You bring him the fuck up, Ella, that's your brother. He was unfairly taken from us. I'll never forgive that fat snake nor forget the fucked up plan he drew up but I've sworn to myself that my loyalty is unsurmountable towards my friends, the people I love. Michael, he's like my brother. I'll always love him more than hate him, but rest assured, I hate his fucking guts."

Ella blinked, unsure of what to say. She knew sometimes it was better to respond with no words at all.

The rest of the drive was quiet, but Ella preferred the quiet glances between them over their exchanges. The absence of words really seemed to escalate the tension between them. Small gestures like eye contact, even soft, gentle caresses seemed to really help Ella overcome those sad thoughts about her fallen brother and guided her back to all the raw feelings of lust she had always had for Trevor.

Trevor had pulled up to his beaten up, dilapidated trailer. He watched Ella's facial expression shift slightly as she took in the trashy, beaten, rusty home. She didn't expect much from Trevor but truthfully, this was a tad exaggerated, even for him.

"I know, I know," Trevor grinned, looking pridefully at the trailer, "it's a _fucking_ palace!"

Ella tried to find the right words to say as Trevor hopped out of the truck and walked to her side. 

"It's four walls and a place to sleep," Ella smiled as she let Trevor escort her out of the truck. Trevor smiled at her choice of words. This was one of the traits that attracted him to her since day one, her sophistication, her choice of words.

Once they were inside, Ella tried to wipe the look of disgust off her face. It reeked terribly, there were cockroaches all over the kitchen floor, and the broken tv was emitting a loud static noise.

"Well?" Trevor looked at Ella, expecting her to say something. Ella looked up at him as he stood a little too close to her. She could smell the sweat he tried to cover with the musky cologne. Quite a choice. 

"Well? I think it's quaint." 

"Ahhh you hate it." Trevor exclaimed, walking to the sink and turning the faucet on. Ella watched as he wet his face. "I know, I know. It's not all clean and pristine like the houses you're used to, but it's mine. And my money _bought_ what's mine."

Ella nodded with a smile. "I like it, Trev," she assured him.

Trevor turned to face him, letting the small droplets of water drip down his face as he slowly stalked toward her. "Trev? God, Ella, you haven't called me that since the last time we-"

"Saw each other?" Ella cut him off immediately, feeling her breath hitch.

"I was gonna say the last time we fucked. But yes, that was the last time, huh?" Trevor asked, now towering over her, pulling back a strand of her hair from her face.

"The night before Brad died." Ella said quietly. "I'm sorry, I promise I won't bring up Brad again." Ella sighed.

Trevor used a finger to guide Ella's chin upward, fixing her gaze onto him.

"Hey hey, now, I don't mind if you bring him up, Els." Trevor said. "I don't mind." And with that, he leaned down and captured her lips with his own.


	10. Always been good enough

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Some steamy love-making and a little conversation.

There was something so damn intoxicating about Trevor fucking Philips.

Maybe it was the way his body forced itself on Ella's. Or how his warm breath swept over the crook of her neck as he grabbed at her thighs and wrapped them around his narrow waist. Oh how his breath caused goosebumps. 

Ella's shuddered breaths only riled him up more. Her shaky body against his firm one caused his already hardened cock to strain painfully against the confines of his black slacks. It had happened as soon as they touched, the sudden and incessant need in him grew like a wildfire.

He just couldn't wait anymore, as patient as he had been the past couple of weeks, he simply chose _not_ to wait.

With her legs wrapped tightly around his body and Trevor's tongue deep down Ella's throat, he somehow managed to navigate through the doorway of his room without bumping into any walls. He slowly lowered her onto his broken, dirty bed without breaking the kiss, his body pushing her down into the mattress. Ella welcomed his hot flesh on hers, savoring the feel of his efforts to hastily remove her clothes, as if he needed her naked right then and there.

And he did. 

In the middle of it all, Ella took a second to glance down between them and saw his member peeking out of the top of his pants, as if it refused to be restrained any longer. Bringing his hand down, he gripped onto it and groaned in a low, animalistic growl that caused a shiver up Ella's spine. 

"Trevor," she sighed, putting her hand over his and applying a bit of pressure, as if characterizing her own need right then and there.

Trevor's dark eyes burnt right into hers before taking her lips with his own and pushing her flat down on the bed.

In no time, their clothes were strewn on the floor all around the bed. It didn't make sense having them on now, it didn't matter. This was happening.

And as Ella felt Trevor's hands on her breasts and his throbbing, swollen cock at her entrance, she knew there was no going back. There was a moment before the chaos began that the two once again made eye contact. In that split second, Ella was taken back to the very first time her and Trevor had been in this situation. It was in her room, on her bed, a few weeks after Brad had begun formally running with the crew. Trevor and Michael would be over afterwards, celebrating wins. Normally their victories would be celebrated in strip clubs, bars, or cheap motels with cheap women, but there was one reason why Michael and Trevor had agreed to take their celebrations to their new crew mates place of residence: Ella.

"Ahh Trevor!" Ella gasped at the sudden sensation as Trevor filled her completely, moving agonizingly slow inside her, stretching her completely as he filled her to the hilt. He sighed in contentment, feeling her warmth envelope him in a way that nearly caused him to spiral down a dangerous place. 

"Ff-fuck.." he muttered to himself, slowly pulling his hips back. He quickly snapped them forward, feeling and hearing Ella's discomfort. He grinned down at her, at the way she blushed and breathed. "You like that, huh? You miss daddy T-revor, don't you sweetheart?" He spoke breathlessly as he began his thrusting faster, watching Ella's face contort from pain to pleasure. He felt that familiar tightness in his groin, the feeling he craved every fucking day. He halted his movements completely, groaning and cursing under his breath as he was successful in stopping the eruption.

"Fuck, that was close." He chuckled to himself. "Not. Good. I almost forgot how nice and tight this kitty is," Trevor grinned as he licked his palm and rested it over Ella's clit, moving his palm back and forth and watching her face once again twist to that of pleasure.

"Oh God, Trev," Ella moaned with eyes closed, "please don't stop."

"Yeah? You like that, sugar?" He moaned, moving his hand faster over her pearl. He knew what he had to do and how he'd do it.

With his free hand, he gave himself a few pumps, readying himself at her entrance once again and once her moaning had escalated, he used that opportunity to thrust in deep and hard, never stopping his assault on her clit.

He watched Ella arch her back and felt her body tighten. He took complete and full advantage, thrusting as hard and fast as he could, rubbing her clit faster and faster, until Ella's body ceased all movement, having reached the perfect bliss, the perfect place right on cloud 9. Trevor held her right there as well, riding out his own orgasm as he filled her with his hot seed. None of them seemed to notice anything other than the pure bliss they had experienced, and as Trevor slowly and carefully collapsed over her, they both came down from their highs back onto Earth in such peaceful bliss that they slept through the rest of the day.

It was 2 am when Ella opened her eyes and found herself alone in an unfamiliar room. She slowly remembered everything that had happened, every detail between her and Trevor. She smiled in satisfaction when she felt the soreness between her legs. She never did mind that feeling, in fact she welcomed it. 

"Well well well, look who's awake," Trevor stood at the doorway wearing nothing but a pair of dirty sweats. He walked right in and smiled in the way Ella absolutely loved. She felt so safe and comfortable when he was there, which was absolutely absurd given who Trevor Philips was. He was a total and utter nightmare, and she knew this reputation of his quite well.

It was just that even when Ella had witnessed the monster, she didn't think it was as bad as people made it out to be.

"Trev, did we-?" Ella asked as Trevor sat at the edge of the bed and howled in laughter.

"Whoo! Did we ever, cupcake. You probably still have some of my little fishies swimming around in there," he chuckled darkly and then proceeded to bend toward Ella, bringing his face dangerously close to hers. "I'm up for an encore any-time you are darlin."

"Trev..." Ella closed her eyes and rested her forehead against his. "I can never get enough, but we can't keep doing this." She sighed.

"Doing what?" Trevor asked, pulling away.

" _This_. You know, we'd do _this_ , and then we'd stop." Ella explained.

"What, what's _this_ , huh? What, am I not good enough for you?" He asked, his brows furrowed in anger, the same way they would right before he knocked someone's lights out. But Ella never feared him, she knew he'd never hurt her. Would he?

She reached up and placed both her hands on either side of his face, watching his expression change completely, from anger to surprise.

"You've always been good enough, Trevor. Always." Ella smiled warmly at him, and Trevor being who he was, had never been smiled at that way before from anyone. Not his mother, not a stripper, not a stranger, not even by a well-paid prostitute.

He didn't know what the emotions welling up inside him were, he wasn't ready to confront them. He didn't even recognize what he felt. Was it love? Was he horny? 

What was she doing to him?

"Then stay here, with me." He replied without thinking.

Ella chuckled and kept looking at him warmly.

"I can't do that, T." She sighed.

"Why not? What do you have up in North Yankton anyway? Your parents? A dead brother? You don't even have to live here, I'll get us somewhere nicer," Trevor reasoned.

"Trev, I can't. At least, not yet." Ella said sharply.

"Not yet?" Trevor asked. "What are you waiting for?"

There was a moment of silence between them. Ella knew she couldn't come clean, especially to Trevor. It wasn't like she was betraying him but her mission was years in the making, and to throw it away for anyone, even a lover, was not something she was prepared to do.

Lover. Trevor. No. She couldn't.

Her thoughts consumed her suddenly and Trevor could tell from the look in her eyes that something was plaguing her, something was off. Now he knew there was a _reason_ Ella was here, and whatever Ella was here for, he wanted to be a part of. Hell, this was the woman he loved, the woman he had always loved.

The woman he felt connected to the most, his person.

He had always wondered how one human could be so tethered and attached to another as he disgustingly watched couples interacting in public. It made him sick. But after all the feelings he experienced, he was convinced, Ella was his person, the one who'd do disgustingly cute couple stuff with him out in public and behind closed doors.

"I'm in." He said as he watched her dress herself.

Ella froze and turned around.

"Trevor, this isn't about you. This is about me." She explained.

"Bullshit. This is about the both of us where you're involved." He growled.

"Okay, Romeo." Ella sighed.

"Hey, I'm serious," Trevor grabbed her wrist and brought her body up against his. "You don't have to do this alone, whatever _this_ is." 

"Trevor," Ella sighed, realizing Trevor's persistence wouldn't die down unless she just complied for the sake of complying, "fine. How about I tell you when I'm ready?"

Ella studied his face and absolutely adored how the madman always softened up when talking to her. It made her fall in love all over again. Trevor smiled and kissed her forehead

If the offer still stood after her work was done, maybe she would settle down with Trevor.


	11. The Hangar

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Trevor shows Ella around Sandy Shores, and while the tension between them is palpable, an interruption forces them to drop everything and go back to Los Santos.

While Ella had insisted to leave at those wee hours, Trevor had successfully convinced her to stay the night and leave when it was bright out. He had thrown something about wandering, drunk hillbilly's and Trevor's affinity to run them over. Whether it was a joke or not had completely gone over Ella's exhausted head and she had fallen asleep as quick as she had tried to put her clothes back on.

Ella was waking up to Trevor's wet, warm lips on the hot flesh of her neck. She giggled half-asleep, trying to break free from Trevor's strong grasp, but he held her there, between his hard body and his dirty, abused mattress.

The pair spent some time making out and touching one another, but before things could heat up, Ella had shot up and was standing on her feet, trying to find her clothes.

"Come on, sweetheart, one more." Trevor cooed in a manner which Ella was definitely not used to.

She looked at him as she got dressed and smiled warmly. "Trev, you know as well as I do now's not the time to spend days tangled up in each other's arms." 

"Soooo you're saying there _is_ a time.." Trevor grinned and sighed as he laid back comfortably, "good to know, sweet cheeks."

"Of course there's a time," Ella muttered, putting on her earrings, "just...not now."

"Noted." Trevor said with a sigh, watching Ella's figure as she bent over to put on her shoes. " _Duly_ noted."

Ella shot back up and looked at Trevor thoughtfully.

"Hey, I thought you said you had business to attend to. Um, I don't want to keep you held up."

"Oh that's _noooo_ problem when you're a business owner." Trevor grinned as he put on his pants and let out a strong, odoriferous burp. Ella raised a brow, suspecting a bluff on his part.

"Business owner." She repeated.

"Damn right, sugartits, I'm the founder and CEO of Trevor Philips Enterprise, TPI." He said proudly.

"Do you mean TPE?" Ella asked.

" _Nooo_ , I mean TPI, Trevor Philips Industries." Trevor corrected her.

"So, no enterprise?" Ella asked.

"Potato Potahto, sugar, are we gonna get a move on?" Trevor asked as he moved toward the door and impatiently gestured at Ella.

Ella giggled and watched his eyes beneath his furrowed brows follow her as she moved past him. As soon as she was out on the porch, she saw a man approach them.

"Uh...Trevor!" The nervous man shouted, but he stopped dead in his tracks when he saw Ella. "Oh, uh, I'm sorry, is Trevor-"

"RON!! Where the fuck were you last night?" Trevor roared behind Ella.

"I'm sorry, Trevor! I saw you pull in b-but, uh, I saw you had company..." The nervous man's voice was low now as he shifted his gaze to Ella.

Trevor moved past Ella aggressively and threateningly, marching up to the nervous man.

"Yeah, so what? When's that ever stopped you before, you useless fuck?" Trevor growled.

"I just...uh, s-since the last time, Trevor, I'm sorry," Ron stammered, but within moments Trevor's fist found itself firmly planted on Ron's face.

Ella gasped as Ron hit the ground with a loud thud.

"DON'T YOU EVER DISRESPECT HER LIKE THAT EVER AGAIN!! I'LL STRING YOU UP BY YOUR EMPTY BALLS!" Trevor yelled at the man, kicking him in the stomach for good measure.

"Trevor!" Ella shouted instinctively behind him.

Trevor leaned over the cowering, whimpering man. "Apologize. Now. Apologize to Ella and give her the _reason_ why you're apologizing. DO IT OR YOU'RE FUCKING DEAD!!"

"I'm sorry!! I'm so sorry! I'm so so sorry for thinking you were a-a-a p-prostitute!" Ron yelled, shielding his head with his arms. Trevor growled and rolled his eyes, grabbing Ella's arm a little more aggressively than he intended and dragging her behind him to his truck.

"Trevor," Ella whispered as they huffed along, "I'm sorry but that wasn't necessary. You might have been a little too rough on him."

In that instant, they had reached the truck, but what Ella wasn't expecting was Trevor's response. He slammed a fist on the door of his red truck and trapped Ella between the burning hot metal and his rock-hard abs.

He used a few fingers to grab at her chin and lift it up so their eyes could meet.

"Never, _ever_ tell me what to do. I _am_ rough on him, in fact I'm rough on _everyone_ around me, sugar. You just happen to be special. But that's not to say that I forgive easily if you cross me, because I can promise you," he chuckled breathlessly, "I won't. You don't want to be on the opposite end of that shit. So I suggest you smile and nod at your uncle T more than you condemn him, and we'll have a fun, pure day."

Ella was taken aback by his attitude towards her, it was almost like there was a switch that had been activated and he was acting different. But she knew he was a loose cannon. She was no stranger to Trevor's antics, and she could imagine things could get worse with time so this was about the right level at which to expect Trevor's wrath. She nodded and gave him a fake smile before Trevor opened the door for her and slapped her ass as she climbed on.

Once they were on the road, Ella glanced at Trevor who seemed to have calmed down.

"You ever been on a jet?" Trevor asked out of the blue.

"What kinda jet?" Ella asked.

" _Hahaaa_ I knew you were special, Ell's, I always _fucking_ knew! This might come as a shock but I own a hangar around here too," Trevor grinned.

"You're kidding." Ella laughed.

"Laugh it up sweet cheeks, but I'll prove it. I have lots of fun toys just waiting to be flown _alll_ over this beautiful town." Trevor grinned.

"Uh, Trevor. I was wondering if we'd be able to head back to town this evening." Ella said in her most courteous, cautious voice. "I just have some work I need to get back to."

"What kinda work?" Trevor asked.

"Just...stuff I need to do." Ella said quietly.

"You know, that's pretty fucked up, eh? I tell you _all_ about me, my businesses, my properties, I show you around and you still can't tell me what your little project is? Kinda suspicious, huh sweetcheeks? Like, fat-snake-son-of-a-bitch-Michael suspicious." Trevor growled.

"Trevor..No." Ella sighed, "it's not like that at all." She looked down quietly at her hands resting on her lap.

Could she trust Trevor? Should she? He wasn't really any better off than her, still doing his own thing and clearly defying law and order. Trevor owned a hangar apparently and she knew damn well he wasn't abiding by the rules imposed by the air traffic controller. Knowing Trevor, one can tell that much just by his demeanor.

"Then _what's it like_?" Trevor asked in an almost mocking tone.

"The only thing I can tell you, and I hope I can count on your discretion." Ella sighed. 

By this time, Trevor had pulled into the dirt-path leading up to the hangar. He stopped the truck and rested a hand on the steering wheel, shifting his body to face her, letting her know he had her full attention.

"It's about Brad." Ella revealed.

"Brad?" Trevor asked.

"Yeah. It's nothing personal concerning you or Michael, or anyone involved formerly with him at all. This just concerns my brother. That's all." Ella said wearily.

Trevor narrowed his eyes at her, taking in her words and nodding slowly.

" _Soooo_ this is just a...what, a family thing?" Trevor asked. Ella nodded reluctantly, hoping to get off the subject as soon as possible.

"Yes, exactly." Ella sighed.

Trevor grinned and latched onto the door handle, bursting out of the red truck gleefully and taking large, heavy strides to Ella's side. He helped her out and walked her to the field.

"Wow. This is all yours?" Ella asked.

"Yup! My kingdom, far as the eye can see." Trevor snorted. 

"Must have cost you a fortune." Ella said impressed.

"Eh, didn't cost a single penny. Think of it as a, uh, rite of passage." Trevor snickered.

"What kind of rite of passage involves inheriting an entire airfield?" Ella giggled.

"The type that involves killing off a large gang of bikers and taking over all drugs and weapons operations in these parts." Trevor grinned.

"Uh..." Ella wasn't entirely shocked by this. She knew his nature and he knew he wasn't above anything he just said. She couldn't help but grin up at him despite what he had just told her. 

"So, what can I do ya for?" Trevor asked. "Maybe fly you up to the mountains, take you up to North Yankton for some _tea with your mummy_ ," his voice was much higher pitched and transformed to an English accent when he mentioned the tea, "or we can just fly back to Los santos. Land on the sand, just wing it. Ha! Get it? Pun." Trevor was quite amused with himself and Ella could tell, she was really liking his demeanor right about now.

"Well, I don't know about boarding any planes today but-"

"You didn't let me finish!" Trevor interrupted with great fervor. "You ever joined the mile high club?" His tone was much more suggestive and a single wink gave Ella the impression this was his intention to begin with.

Ella laughed out and shook her head. "Oh my God, Trevor Philips brought me to his airfield just so he can try getting lucky again?" She teased.

"Oh no way sweet cheeks, I wouldn't need to bring you here for that, I just thought it could be a fun incentive to get ya to fly Air Philips." He growled.

"Well, I rode stallion Philips earlier and I have no complaints about that." Ella lowered her tone to match Trevor's.

At this point, Trevor had backed her up against the wall of his hangar, but when his fingers clutched at her skin and his lips hovered over hers, Ella turned her head away.

"Trevor-"

She was cut off by his lips engulfing hers again. But before he could deepen the kiss, the phone in his pocket went off, frightening Ella.

"Fuck.." Trevor cursed under his breath, "sorry sweet cheeks, gotta take this."

Ella nodded and watched Trevor's expression change as he answered the phone.

"Ahh, Mikey Mikey Mikey, what a rare surprise." Trevor's eyes met Ella's and he grinned. "Oh no, not at all, I was just about getting ready to go to pound town on this..." Trevor's eyes met Ella's, "hot number I met at Janet's." There was a pause as Trevor listened to Michael and Ella could see the frustration on his face.

He hung up.

"Everything okay?" Ella asked cautiously.

"Mikey was just giving me some useless information about his secret FIB lover. Apparently he's back in Los santos on work duty and Mikey's freaking out over it. Says we gotta do "security detail" or that was some sort of code bullshit." Trevor said through clenched teeth and he began walking to his truck with Ella on his heels. "I don't like it, that guy was on my _fucking_ list! The only reason he's breathing right now is because that fat snake thinks he's still useful." Trevor went on and on about his hatred for Dave Norton.

When they finally made it to Los santos, Ella had asked Trevor to drop her back off at her apartment but Trevor insisted she tag along to visit Michael with him. Ella didn't really have a reason to say no and agreed to go. 

She just didn't have a very good feeling about it.


End file.
